
SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
29
stood upon the mount, surrounded by a retinue of angels, the
Lord made known His law. . . . The law was not spoken at
this time exclusively for the benefit of the Hebrews. God
honored them by making them the guardians and keepers of
His law, but it was to be held as a sacred trust for the whole
world. The precepts of the Decalogue are adapted to all man-
kind, and they were given for the instruction and government
of all. Ten precepts, brief, comprehensive, and authoritative,
cover the duty of
,
man to God and to his fellow man; and all
based upon the great fundamental principle of love."—
Id., pp.
304, 305.
3.
"Aaron had thought that Moses had been too unyield-
ing to the wishes of the people. He thought that if Moses had
been less firm, less decided at times, and that if he had made
a compromise with the people, and gratified their wishes, he
would have had less tfouble, and there would have been more
peace and harmony in the camp of Israel. He, therefore, had
been trying this new policy. He carried out his natural tem-
perament by yielding to'the wishes of the people, to save dis-
satisfaction and preserve their good will, and thereby prevent
a rebellion, which he thought would certainly come if he did
not yield to their wishes. . . .
"When, Aaron took the first step in the wrong direction,
the spirit which had actuated the people imbued him, and he
took the lead, and directed as a general, and the people were
singularly obedient. Here Aaron gave decided sanction to
the most aggravated sins, because it was less difficult than
to stand in vindication of the
right."—"Testimonies," vol. 3,
pp. 298, 299.
4.
Nowhere in the Bible is the tremendous power of ear-
nest prayer more clearly revealed than in the words of Je-
hovah to Moses —"Let Me alone."
5.
"If Aaron had had courage to stand for the right,
irrespective of consequences, he could have prevented that
apostasy. . . .
"To justify himself, Aaron endeavored to make the people
responsible for his weakness in yielding to their demand; but
notwithstanding this, they were filled with admiration of his
gentleness and patience. But God seeth not as man sees.
Aaron's yielding spirit and his desire to please, had blinded
his eyes to the enormity of the crime he was sanctioning.
His course in giving his influence to sin in Israel, cost the life
of thousands."
—"Patriarchs and Prophets," p. 323.
6.
"It was necessary that this sin should be punished,
as a testimony to surrounding nations of God's displeasure
against idolatry. By executing justice upon the guilty, Moses,
as God's instrument, must leave on record a solemn and public
protest against their crime. As the Israelites should here-
after condemn the idolatry of the neighboring tribes, their